The present invention generally relates to an improved method for producing mechanical parts and objects, particularly prototypes, from a specific computer-aided design, to the elemental laminations produced by such a method, and to the prototypes obtained by assembling such elemental laminations.
Known methods for producing a mechanical part or object, including prototypes, from a specific computer-aided design generally include the successive steps of manufacturing the part in elemental layers or laminations, building up the collection of layers and assembling the layers. The laminations result from a prior breakdown of the part along plural planes, and one or more defined steps.
A rapid prototyping method of this general type is described in European Patent EP-0 585 502-B1, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, and is known by the trademark xe2x80x9cSTRATOCONCEPTIONxe2x80x9d.
The method of the present invention is fully compatible with the applications specified in European Patent EP-0 585 502. In practice, however, the disclosed rapid prototyping method has been found to have limits in the production of parts with complex shapes. This is particularly so when the micromachining tool which is used to perform the method has to, or should produce contours on one face of a lamination and then on the other face of the lamination being machined.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method which permits the machining of laminations having such complex shapes.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved with an improved method for producing mechanical parts and objects from a specific computer-aided design. The method generally includes the successive steps of manufacturing the parts in elemental layers or laminations, building up the collection of layers, and assembling the layers to form the part. The elemental layers or laminations result from a prior breakdown of the part along a plurality of planes, and one or more defined steps. At least portions of a lamination are turned through 180xc2x0 (i.e., turned over) after one of its faces has been machined, so that the other face of the lamination can be machined after the lamination has been turned over. In an alternative implementation of the method of the present invention, the entire lamination will be subjected to the foregoing operation.
In yet another alternative implementation of the method of the present invention, the lamination is cut into two or more sub-laminations, along one or more cutting planes which are roughly vertical. Only those sub-laminations which contain a portion which cannot be machined in the customary way are turned over.